The Baltimore Ravens swung a last-minute trade-deadline deal with the Atlanta Falcons to acquire center Ryan Neuzil in exchange for guard Andrew Vorhees and a 2028 sixth-round pick. Here are Baltimore Beatdown’s reactions to the move; be sure to add yours in the comments section below!
Nikhil Mehta
This is ultimately a minor trade that will, in all likelihood, have little or no impact on either team’s short- or long-term future. But I still like it. The Ravens have watched three centers go down this year and acquired
Cam Jurgens as their new starter, a player with his own injury history. So upgrading from Kyle Hergel to Neuzil at backup is a sensible move at such a low cost. No one in Baltimore will miss Vorhees, and the Ravens could quickly get a compensatory 2028 Day 3 pick (likely a seventh-, maybe a sixth-rounder) when Neuzil leaves in the offseason. The only wrinkle is that ideally, he does not play a snap in purple and black, likely lowering his free agent valuation in the offseason and reducing the chances of another comp pick for Eric DeCosta.
Still, that last factor makes this a head-scratcher from the Falcons’ end. Why did the they give up a starting lineman for an unneeded backup and a draft pick they would receive if Neuzil signed even a low-end starting contract in the offseason? As the Ravens found out the hard way, the NFL’s center ranks are quietly very thin, so simply being able to snap the football and hold down the fort can earn good money. A strong finish to the year could have raised Neuzil’s value further, and it’s not like Atlanta’s new regime does not know how to play the com ppick game. They are projected to net two extra picks in 2027 as a result of this offseason’s moves, per OverTheCap, their most since 2021. I’m sure they have their reason(s); I just can’t see them.
Kevin McNelis
I understand the front office standing pat at the deadline for the most part, even if I don’t agree with it. This felt like an opportune time for the Ravens to try to sell off some of their more bloated contracts, but based on the lack of large moves outside of Jordan Davis, maybe they just felt like the market wasn’t there. The pessimist/cynic in me says that they hold a stubborn belief that this team has more viability than it appears, and I hope they’re right, because otherwise, they missed a window.
The Neuzil acquisition makes sense given his familiarity with Coach Ledford, and maybe the staff just felt like they reached the end of the road with Andrew Vorhees. Elsewhere, I didn’t see much that would have been a quick fix for any of Baltimore’s holes, but there was a small part of me hoping that after Cincy’s deal for Arnold Ebiketie fell through we’d see Baltimore swoop in and grab him. Ebiketie played his high school ball in Maryland, and I know he would’ve embraced the chance to provide a much-needed boost to the pass rush.
Dustin Cox
I would have personally preferred for the Ravens to be sellers at this year’s deadline, but I understand why Eric DeCosta wouldn’t go that route of there is a real chance of Lamar Jackson coming back this season.
I am rather indifferent towards the trade for Ryan Neuzil as I believe it to be nothing more than a move to bolster depth at center behind Cam Jurgens. I don’t believe that he will replace John Simpson at left guard, like I have seen some speculating, as he has only player center in the NFL and I can’t see the Ravens sending Simpson to the bench after handing him a three-year, $30 million deal this offseason.
Frank Platko
I would have personally preferred for the Ravens to be sellers at this year’s deadline, but I understand why Eric DeCosta wouldn’t go that route of there is a real chance of Lamar Jackson coming back this season.
I am rather indifferent towards the trade for Ryan Neuzil as I believe it to be nothing more than a move to bolster depth at center behind Cam Jurgens. I don’t believe that he will replace John Simpson at left guard, like I have seen some speculating, as he has only player center in the NFL and I can’t see the Ravens sending Simpson to the bench after handing him a three-year, $30 million deal this offseason.
Now, it’s your turn! How did you react to the Ravens trading for Ryan Neuzil?
